A thermal energy management system of this type is already known (U.S. Pat. No. 5,353,757). It includes a unique cooling radiator that can be split in two parts by switching means controlled by a control box. The system can take a first configuration by which part of the radiator is allocated to the high-temperature circuit, while the other part is allocated to the low-temperature circuit. Or, the totality of the radiator exchange surface can be allocated to the high-temperature circuit or to the low-temperature circuit.
In such a thermal energy management system, the passage from one configuration to another takes place abruptly as certain control parameters are met or not. Thermal shocks are the result of this especially when switching from one configuration in which a portion or all of the cooling radiator contains water at a high-temperature, between 85° C. and 100° C. since it is linked to the high-temperature circuit, to a configuration in which this water is injected into the low-temperature circuit where the temperature is lower, for example within 40° C. and 60° C.
In addition, when all of the radiator exchange surface is allocated to one of the circuits, the other circuit does not have any cooling surface available. Such a configuration is not satisfactory from the high and low-temperature circuit cooling needs point of view.
The invention has for object a thermal energy management system to remedy these inconveniences. These objectives are reached from the fact that the management system includes an assignable cooling system, first switching means placed between the high-temperature circuit and the assignable radiator, second switching means placed between the low-temperature circuits and the assignable radiator to switch the system from one connected configuration, where the assignable radiator is connected to the low-temperature circuit, to a disconnected configuration, wherein said assignable radiator is connected to the high-temperature circuit and conversely, the switching means being sequentially operated after a time-delay while switching from the disconnected configuration to the connected configuration and/or from the connected configuration to the disconnected configuration in order to minimize thermal shocks.
As a result of these characteristics, the high-temperature water from the high-temperature circuit progressively passes to the low-temperature circuit while switching from the disconnected configuration to the connected configuration and, conversely, the cold water of the low-temperature circuit progressively passes to the high-temperature circuit in case the connected configuration passes to disconnected configuration.
In addition, no matter the configuration, each of the high- and low-temperature circuits maintains its own cooling capacity.